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Inside
- Brad Keselowski dominates at Richmond for playoff win (Motorsports Pg.)
- Julie Massa Wins GAM Senior Women’s Championship Again at Hidden River (MGS Pg.)
- Rochester Hills Brad Keselowski on the NASCAR 2020 playoffs (Motorsports Pg.)
- Rocket Mortgage Classic Set to Tee Off on July 4 weekend in 2021 (Below)
- Darren McCarty talks about his golf obsession and how the Red Wings were double dipping during Cup years. (MGS)
- Michigan Golf Scene- Latest Show (MGS Pg.)
Rocket Mortgage Classic Set to Tee Off on July 4 weekend in 2021
DETROIT (September 2, 2020) – Following a wildly successful debut in 2019 and a spectacular sophomore showing earlier this year, the third-annual Rocket Mortgage Classic will be held June 28 - July 4, 2021, as it returns to the historic Detroit Golf Club.
The event will focus on raising funds to support the “Changing the Course” initiative which was launched in 2020 in light of the profound impact of COVID-19 on Detroit and the clear need for greater and more equitable digital connectivity in America’s least connected major city. The vision of this multi-year campaign is to ensure every Detroit resident has access to the internet, technology and digital literacy training they deserve within a 10-minute walk of their home. “We are creating the PGA TOUR’s must-see event in 2021 by leveraging the incredible momentum generated from the first two years of the Rocket Mortgage Classic,” said Jason Langwell, Executive Director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. “Bringing 156 of the world’s best golfers to Detroit over the Fourth of July weekend has proven to be a great way to celebrate the holiday, especially considering we are continuing to make a positive impact on one of our country’s great cities through our efforts with Changing the Course.” During the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic, $1.4 million was raised to support Changing the Course through a special charity exhibition match hosted by two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, as well as the AREA 313 Challenge, where donations from title sponsor Rocket Mortgage were triggered by players who made an eagle, ace or birdie (3-1-3) on holes 14, 15 and 16. The event’s total contribution to non-profit partners, including the net proceeds from the 2020 tournament, will be announced in the coming weeks and is expected to far surpass the amount generated in 2019. “While the Rocket Mortgage Classic is a great event – bringing together our team members, the community and TOUR golfers for an exciting weekend at Detroit Golf Club – we remain laser focused on using the tournament to make a lasting impact that benefits the residents of our hometown through Changing the Course,” said Jay Farner, CEO of Rocket Mortgage. “Providing every Detroiter access to the internet is no small feat, with nearly one in three families currently lacking connectivity, which is why we continue to leverage this unique platform as a vehicle for good.” After Nate Lashley cruised to a six-stroke victory and his first career PGA TOUR win at the 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic, Bryson DeChambeau muscled his way to 23-under-par to win the 2020 tournament. Ranked 10th in the world entering the event, DeChambeau earned his sixth career TOUR win at the age of 26, leading the field with an average driving distance of 350.6 yards. The 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic was one of the PGA TOUR’s The Rocket Mortgage Classic was the most awarded event on the PGA TOUR’s 2018-19 schedule, being recognized for “Best Special Event” (the AREA 313 Celebrity Challenge) and “Best Tournament Sales” as well as being honored with the first “Fair Way Award” for its diversity and inclusion initiatives. EMU's Scott Weatherbee on the MAC announcement and athletes concernsThe Ally Challenge Goes to Jim Furyk
By Steve Sweitzer-August 2, 2020
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Musings of a Filterless Reporter-Column
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My take on Detroit Sports News- by Roy J. Akers
The Ally Challenge: Who is more excited, Tom Izzo to meet the Legends or the Legends to meet Izzo?
T
-ise to the top of their class.
Caledonia's Brett White aiming for wire-to-wire win at Michigan Open
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Acme — Brett White is one day from a wire-to-wire win at the Michigan Open.
White, a left-hander from Caledonia in west Michigan, shot a 1-under 71 and was at 9 under for a one-shot lead on The Bear course at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
White has led after each of the first three rounds.
"I’ve never led a tournament wire-to-wire yet, but I’ll go out tomorrow and do it,” said White, 27.
A shot back was Chad Kurmel, 49, a teaching pro from Forest Akers at Michigan State in East Lansing. He shot a 5-under 67 on Wednesday.
Three back were defending champion Eric Lilleboe (71) of Okemos and 2020 Michigan PGA Professional champion Ben Cook (73) of Wayland. Cook played in the PGA Championship last month.
White, a left-hander from Caledonia in west Michigan, shot a 1-under 71 and was at 9 under for a one-shot lead on The Bear course at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
White has led after each of the first three rounds.
"I’ve never led a tournament wire-to-wire yet, but I’ll go out tomorrow and do it,” said White, 27.
A shot back was Chad Kurmel, 49, a teaching pro from Forest Akers at Michigan State in East Lansing. He shot a 5-under 67 on Wednesday.
Three back were defending champion Eric Lilleboe (71) of Okemos and 2020 Michigan PGA Professional champion Ben Cook (73) of Wayland. Cook played in the PGA Championship last month.
KEVIN HARVICK FINISHES SWEEP OF CUP SERIES DOUBLEHEADER AT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY Wins for 3rd straight time at MIS; Ford takes home Michigan Heritage Trophy
BROOKLYN, Mich. (August 9, 2020) – One venue, two days, two races, two wins. That was Kevin Harvick’s weekend after capturing the NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, and completing the weekend sweep of the Cup Series doubleheader.
With Harvick’s victories, Ford took home the Michigan Heritage Trophy for 2020, symbolic of the top OEM at Michigan International Speedway. Today’s win was Ford’s 41st at MIS and the 53rd by Ford Motor Company (12 wins by Mercury). It also was Ford’s sixth straight win, their longest in the Irish Hills.
Harvick’s victory Sunday was somewhat reminiscent of his triumph on Saturday in the FireKeepers Casino 400. He led a total of 90 of the 156-lap race Sunday after being at the head of the pack for 92 laps Saturday. He won each of the first two stages Saturday and secured the second stage Sunday, giving him five stage wins on the year.
Harvick’s win was his 55th in the NASCAR Cup Series, as he surpassed Hall of Famer Lee Petty for 11th on the all-time list. In addition, Harvick became the first driver to win back-to-back races at the same track on consecutive days in the NASCAR Cup Series. The last driver to win Cup races on consecutive days was Hall of Famer Richard Petty in 1971 (July 14 & 15 at Islip and Saratoga).
Even with all of his success in his career and particularly in 2020 – a season in which he now owns a Cup Series-best six victories – Harvick deflects a good portion of the credit to his team.
“It drives you,” Harvick said of his No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang. “I think when you look at my team we’ve been together for going on seven years now and you look at the confidence everybody has in each other. The details of the race cars and the thought of everything that goes into everything that we do is untouchable. That’s what it takes are details to make these race cars go fast.”
Clint Bowyer led the first 43 laps of the race, including a win in Stage 1. After that however, Harvick would go on to lead 90 of the final 113 laps. Stewart-Haas racing teammate Aric Almirola challenged Harvick briefly, as he led nine laps before relinquishing the lead to Harvick, who finished it off by leading the way for the final 41 laps. Almirola finished sixth.
Denny Hamlin, one of three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers to finish among the top-4, looked as though he had a chance to overtake Harvick over the final several laps, but could just not make up ground, as he was edged out by .093 seconds.
“Just needed to maneuver a little bit better and I think that we could be a little better,” Hamlin said. “Overall, our car handled well. Just needed a little more speed there and a little bit more handling to pass. Obviously, I thought we were definitely the fastest car by running him (Kevin Harvick) down there.”
Martin Truex Jr. produced a third-place finish for the second straight day.
“We don’t do anything easy, that’s for sure,” Truex said. “We were awful at the start of the race. I don’t know, we didn’t make a lot of changes from yesterday. We tried to do different things to try to get better. We definitely were worse. Just have to grind them out, that’s what we do. It’s good to be grinding out top-three finishes, that’s what the Playoffs are all about. We need to get some more points before that starts.”
Sunday’s win was a little different for Harvick in that he secured the Michigan Heritage Trophy for Ford. He knew coming in that it was an extremely important piece of the weekend for his manufacturer.
“Well, when you start getting texts from Edsel Ford on how important the weekend is, you answer those,” Harvick said. “I’ve been around Ford for several years now and you understand the importance of winning at Michigan. The energy and effort that they not only put into our cars, but that they put into the engines at Roush Yates. This is the place - right behind Daytona - that everybody from Ford wants to win at.”
Kyle Busch (4th) and Joey Logano (5th) completed the top-5. For the second day in-a-row, Christopher Bell (17th) was the race’s highest finishing rookie.
With Harvick’s victories, Ford took home the Michigan Heritage Trophy for 2020, symbolic of the top OEM at Michigan International Speedway. Today’s win was Ford’s 41st at MIS and the 53rd by Ford Motor Company (12 wins by Mercury). It also was Ford’s sixth straight win, their longest in the Irish Hills.
Harvick’s victory Sunday was somewhat reminiscent of his triumph on Saturday in the FireKeepers Casino 400. He led a total of 90 of the 156-lap race Sunday after being at the head of the pack for 92 laps Saturday. He won each of the first two stages Saturday and secured the second stage Sunday, giving him five stage wins on the year.
Harvick’s win was his 55th in the NASCAR Cup Series, as he surpassed Hall of Famer Lee Petty for 11th on the all-time list. In addition, Harvick became the first driver to win back-to-back races at the same track on consecutive days in the NASCAR Cup Series. The last driver to win Cup races on consecutive days was Hall of Famer Richard Petty in 1971 (July 14 & 15 at Islip and Saratoga).
Even with all of his success in his career and particularly in 2020 – a season in which he now owns a Cup Series-best six victories – Harvick deflects a good portion of the credit to his team.
“It drives you,” Harvick said of his No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang. “I think when you look at my team we’ve been together for going on seven years now and you look at the confidence everybody has in each other. The details of the race cars and the thought of everything that goes into everything that we do is untouchable. That’s what it takes are details to make these race cars go fast.”
Clint Bowyer led the first 43 laps of the race, including a win in Stage 1. After that however, Harvick would go on to lead 90 of the final 113 laps. Stewart-Haas racing teammate Aric Almirola challenged Harvick briefly, as he led nine laps before relinquishing the lead to Harvick, who finished it off by leading the way for the final 41 laps. Almirola finished sixth.
Denny Hamlin, one of three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers to finish among the top-4, looked as though he had a chance to overtake Harvick over the final several laps, but could just not make up ground, as he was edged out by .093 seconds.
“Just needed to maneuver a little bit better and I think that we could be a little better,” Hamlin said. “Overall, our car handled well. Just needed a little more speed there and a little bit more handling to pass. Obviously, I thought we were definitely the fastest car by running him (Kevin Harvick) down there.”
Martin Truex Jr. produced a third-place finish for the second straight day.
“We don’t do anything easy, that’s for sure,” Truex said. “We were awful at the start of the race. I don’t know, we didn’t make a lot of changes from yesterday. We tried to do different things to try to get better. We definitely were worse. Just have to grind them out, that’s what we do. It’s good to be grinding out top-three finishes, that’s what the Playoffs are all about. We need to get some more points before that starts.”
Sunday’s win was a little different for Harvick in that he secured the Michigan Heritage Trophy for Ford. He knew coming in that it was an extremely important piece of the weekend for his manufacturer.
“Well, when you start getting texts from Edsel Ford on how important the weekend is, you answer those,” Harvick said. “I’ve been around Ford for several years now and you understand the importance of winning at Michigan. The energy and effort that they not only put into our cars, but that they put into the engines at Roush Yates. This is the place - right behind Daytona - that everybody from Ford wants to win at.”
Kyle Busch (4th) and Joey Logano (5th) completed the top-5. For the second day in-a-row, Christopher Bell (17th) was the race’s highest finishing rookie.
Timing on Jones announcement stings, but a new opportunity might be best
It’s not the homecoming Erik Jones expected.
Just days before NASCAR returned to the Wolverine State for this weekend’s races at Michigan Speedway, word leaked on the internet that the 24-year-old’s contract would not be renewed at Joe Gibbs Racing.
JGR confirmed the story later Thursday night. Christopher Bell, his fellow Toyota development driver, is expected to replace Jones in the No. 20 team in 2021.
“I greatly appreciate the opportunity that JGR provided me with over the last four years and I wish the team nothing but success and good fortune,” Jones said in the team release. “JGR gave me a solid foundation from which to go out and compete at the highest level and I look forward to building on that in the years to come.”
The Byron, Michigan, racer, the first in a long and tremendously successful list of Toyota proteges, executed the perfect audition when he was just 16 by beating Kyle Busch in the 2012 Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway. Soon after, Jones was recruited by Toyota.
Jones’ meteoric rise through the NASCAR ranks included wins in ARCA and then in the Truck Series—in his fifth start. He was both the youngest driver to win his first race and the championship in the Gander RV & Outdoors Trucks Series, at ages 17 and 19, respectively. His truck title came during his first full season on the tour.
Nine races into his Xfinity Series experience, Jones won from the pole at Texas Motor Speedway in the 2015 spring race. The following week, he was recruited to sub for an ailing Denny Hamlin at in the No. 11 Cup car after Hamlin suffered neck spasms during a lengthy rain delay at Bristol. Two years later, Jones graduated to a second car at Furniture Row Racing. The situation was far from ideal. Still, in a freshman class that included Daniel Suarez, Ty Dillon and Corey LaJoie, Jones won 2017 rookie honors handily.
Once he joined the JGR fold in 2018, Jones scored his first Cup win at the July Daytona race. He doubled his top-five results, finished half of his starts in the top 10 and qualified for the Playoffs. In 2019, Jones won again—this time in the prestigious Southern 500 at Darlington—and earned a one-year extension on his contract, even though Bell waiting in the wings as the next young, hot prospect in the Toyota camp.
Although Jones started the 2020 season by winning the Busch Clash at Daytona, he’s currently 18th in the standings after five top fives and eight top 10s in 20 starts. Since joining JGR, Jones has been overshadowed by veteran teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. His results were better than those of Daniel Suarez during their two seasons together at JGR. Though Busch has yet to win in 2020, Hamlin has won a fourth of this year’s Cup races. Martin Truex Jr. won at Martinsville in June.
Sure, Jones has endured his share of bad luck. But compared with some of his 20-something peers on the Cup tour, Jones has more top-five and top-10 finishes than Alex Bowman, Matt DiBenedetto, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon or Bell.
Certainly, Bell is a once-in-a-generational talent in whom Toyota has invested handsomely. Under the direction of Jason Ratcliff, who also guided Jones earlier in his career, Bell has made gains in the No. 95 Toyota. His true potential won't become evident until he's under JGR’s roof.
Perennially, there has been a stark contrast between Jones and the other top Gibbs’ drivers in equal equipment. When drivers such as Carl Edwards or Matt Kenseth entered the stable, both were able to hold their own and win immediately.
That’s not to say that Jones won’t flourish in a different environment, as Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick or Kyle Busch did when they left their previous employers for a fresh start. I would bet on it.
While Bubba Wallace is the frontrunner for the No. 42 Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, and LaJoie appears headed to the No. 37 JTG Daugherty team, and the replacement plans for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports seat have yet to be determined, Jones could enter any of those situations and make a significant difference.
Just days before NASCAR returned to the Wolverine State for this weekend’s races at Michigan Speedway, word leaked on the internet that the 24-year-old’s contract would not be renewed at Joe Gibbs Racing.
JGR confirmed the story later Thursday night. Christopher Bell, his fellow Toyota development driver, is expected to replace Jones in the No. 20 team in 2021.
“I greatly appreciate the opportunity that JGR provided me with over the last four years and I wish the team nothing but success and good fortune,” Jones said in the team release. “JGR gave me a solid foundation from which to go out and compete at the highest level and I look forward to building on that in the years to come.”
The Byron, Michigan, racer, the first in a long and tremendously successful list of Toyota proteges, executed the perfect audition when he was just 16 by beating Kyle Busch in the 2012 Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway. Soon after, Jones was recruited by Toyota.
Jones’ meteoric rise through the NASCAR ranks included wins in ARCA and then in the Truck Series—in his fifth start. He was both the youngest driver to win his first race and the championship in the Gander RV & Outdoors Trucks Series, at ages 17 and 19, respectively. His truck title came during his first full season on the tour.
Nine races into his Xfinity Series experience, Jones won from the pole at Texas Motor Speedway in the 2015 spring race. The following week, he was recruited to sub for an ailing Denny Hamlin at in the No. 11 Cup car after Hamlin suffered neck spasms during a lengthy rain delay at Bristol. Two years later, Jones graduated to a second car at Furniture Row Racing. The situation was far from ideal. Still, in a freshman class that included Daniel Suarez, Ty Dillon and Corey LaJoie, Jones won 2017 rookie honors handily.
Once he joined the JGR fold in 2018, Jones scored his first Cup win at the July Daytona race. He doubled his top-five results, finished half of his starts in the top 10 and qualified for the Playoffs. In 2019, Jones won again—this time in the prestigious Southern 500 at Darlington—and earned a one-year extension on his contract, even though Bell waiting in the wings as the next young, hot prospect in the Toyota camp.
Although Jones started the 2020 season by winning the Busch Clash at Daytona, he’s currently 18th in the standings after five top fives and eight top 10s in 20 starts. Since joining JGR, Jones has been overshadowed by veteran teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. His results were better than those of Daniel Suarez during their two seasons together at JGR. Though Busch has yet to win in 2020, Hamlin has won a fourth of this year’s Cup races. Martin Truex Jr. won at Martinsville in June.
Sure, Jones has endured his share of bad luck. But compared with some of his 20-something peers on the Cup tour, Jones has more top-five and top-10 finishes than Alex Bowman, Matt DiBenedetto, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon or Bell.
Certainly, Bell is a once-in-a-generational talent in whom Toyota has invested handsomely. Under the direction of Jason Ratcliff, who also guided Jones earlier in his career, Bell has made gains in the No. 95 Toyota. His true potential won't become evident until he's under JGR’s roof.
Perennially, there has been a stark contrast between Jones and the other top Gibbs’ drivers in equal equipment. When drivers such as Carl Edwards or Matt Kenseth entered the stable, both were able to hold their own and win immediately.
That’s not to say that Jones won’t flourish in a different environment, as Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick or Kyle Busch did when they left their previous employers for a fresh start. I would bet on it.
While Bubba Wallace is the frontrunner for the No. 42 Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, and LaJoie appears headed to the No. 37 JTG Daugherty team, and the replacement plans for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports seat have yet to be determined, Jones could enter any of those situations and make a significant difference.
Brad Keselowski presser talking about his new deal and Covid-19 racing MIS Doubleheader
Notes from Presser
When MIS visits the Irish Hills this weekend, Michigan hosts two of NASCAR’s finest drivers in Erik Jones and Brad Keselowski, albeit with the drivers going in different career directions. For Jones, it’s the end of the road at Joe Gibbs Racing. Jones had great moments with the team, winning multiple times in his DeWalt #20 Toyota. But the Gibbs team had an itch to scratch and for them, they have been developing Christopher Bell, who has been winning consistently in NASCAR’s undercard series. Jones appreciated his time with the team, “I greatly appreciate the opportunity that JGR provided me with over the last four years and I wish the team nothing but success and good fortune,” Jones said in the team release. “JGR gave me a solid foundation from which to go out and compete at the highest level and I look forward to building on that in the years to come.” Jones is rumored to have several suitors for 2021 when his contract is up at the end of the 2020 season.
As for Brad Keselowski, the former NASCAR 2012 champion has won just about everywhere in NASCAR, but MIS, the site of two shortened races this weekend, has eluded him. Keselowski acknowledged in a reporter scrum that he is part of the big three with Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin. “Kevin has done a great job winning and getting points and Denny has also done a great job,” said Keselowski.” Keselowski added that earning points and getting into the championship is one thing, but winning the championship is another.
The Covid-19 reality has been an eye opener in NASCAR with more but shortened races over the course of a week at the track. This affects how teams prepare for the weekend workload. “It put’s an emphasis on having the car right in the first race,” said Keselowski. We have to give the team great feedback from the car. There is a lot of emphasis on giving them (the team) great feedback and debrief the team during and post race.
Keselowski believes that NASCAR will change their business model going forward as their has been plenty of experimentation with the schedule, racing double headers and so on and in fact, has already seen far reaching changes. “We have learned from this pandemic we will apply for years to come. I think one of the biggest ones is we used to come to racetracks like Michigan on a Thursday and race until Sunday. That was three-and- a- half-days at the track and I do not see us going back to that model.”
Keselowski said from a race driver perspective that going forward there are a lot more changes going forward from scheduling to the racing itself.
Perhaps NASCAR will apply what worked in the past to bridging to what the consumer wants in the future. One thing is for sure, Keselowski will have an opinion on that.
Brad Keselowski dominates New Hampshire for third Cup win of season
(LOUDON, N.H. -- (AP) With about 70 laps to go in his back-and-forth battle against Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin radioed in to his team: "This is awesome racing." Imagine how Keselowski felt.The 2012 Cup champion took the checkered flag at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, beating Hamlin by 1.647 seconds after trading the lead with him for most of the 301-lap race.
The two swapped stage wins and held the lead a combined 18 times before Keselowski claimed his third victory since the sport returned from the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, along with the now-traditional prize of a 18-pound, live lobster. Afterward, Keselowski grabbed a U.S. flag and spun his car around in front of a crowd that spent most of the race masked and socially distanced before crowding the fence to chant "Brad! "Brad!"
It's so great to be racing back in front of fans again. It feels like forever, so welcome back, guys," said Keselowski, who is in a contract year at Team Penske. "We're just so glad to have them all back. It feels so weird to be racing without fans, but we're glad you're here. I hope you stay safe and thank you for being here."
Hamlin also finished second in New Hampshire last year following a sprint to the finish that left him 0.210 seconds behind Kevin Harvick. Hamlin has five victories this year, including last week in Kansas.
"It was fun racing those guys. They were very very deserving today and I'm happy for them," he said. "The two best cars finished 1-2 today and they got the better end of it. I was having a good time there."
ADVERTISEMENTMartin Truex Jr. was third after working his way back from the rear of the field because of a penalty for a runaway tire in the pits. Joey Logano was fourth and Harvick fifth.
"When those things happen, you just have to buckle down and get what you can get," Truex said. "Fortunately, we were able to come back from it."
Kyle Busch was last after a flat front right tire on the backstretch sent him skidding into the wall after just 15 laps. The reigning Cup champion is a 12-time winner in New Hampshire, including three in the top series.
"About halfway down the backstretch I felt it go flat and tried to get slowed down enough without taking everybody else running over me behind me down the straightaway," he said. "Seems to be our luck with the Pedigree [sponsored] car here at New Hampshire. ... It's still 2020, but sooner or later we have to turn this stuff around."
The track has a capacity of 76,000, but Gov. Chris Sununu said last week that he expected about 12,000 fans to attend. A track spokeswoman said attendance would not be announced, but it appeared to be about 10% full.
The governor gave a brief welcome before the race and thanked fans for cooperating with the restrictions. Fans were required to wear masks when making their way around the track but could remove them in their seats.
Brad Keselowski does a burnout while holding the American flag out his window after winning Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesHamlin won the first stage after fighting for the lead with Keselowski and Ryan Blaney. Keselowski took the second stage, passing Hamlin on the final lap of a two-lap sprint following a series of cautions late in the stage. It was his sixth stage win -- the most of any driver.
Keselowski appeared to get the worst of a preseason staffing shuffle when he got the least accomplished of the three Penske crew chiefs. But Jeremy Bullins has focused on helping Keselowski win races and earn a contract extension.
"Talking to Jeremy Bullins, it was, 'What do we need to do to get to the next level?' Go dominate a race, and that's what we did today," Keselowski said. "Jeremy and this team has been a good kick in the butt."
In his last start in New Hampshire, where he swept the Cup Series events in 2003, Jimmie Johnson recovered from an early spin to finish 12th. The seven-time NASCAR champion finished the day 18th in the playoff race -- below the cut line -- and has only six races left to make up ground.
Johnson, who has said this will be his last year as a full-time Cup driver, was presented with a replica Revolutionary War musket as a parting gift, and "Thanks Jimmie 48" was painted on the inner wall. A trail on the property was named the Jimmie Johnson 5K trail for the fitness enthusiast, who ran in the Boston Marathon last year.
Others on the bubble jostling for the 16 playoff spots are 14th-place Clint Bowyer, who finished 18th on Sunday, Matt DiBenedetto (15th, finished sixth), William Byron (16th, finished 11th), Tyler Reddick (17th, finished 10th), Johnson and Erik Jones (19th, finished 24th).
The two swapped stage wins and held the lead a combined 18 times before Keselowski claimed his third victory since the sport returned from the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, along with the now-traditional prize of a 18-pound, live lobster. Afterward, Keselowski grabbed a U.S. flag and spun his car around in front of a crowd that spent most of the race masked and socially distanced before crowding the fence to chant "Brad! "Brad!"
It's so great to be racing back in front of fans again. It feels like forever, so welcome back, guys," said Keselowski, who is in a contract year at Team Penske. "We're just so glad to have them all back. It feels so weird to be racing without fans, but we're glad you're here. I hope you stay safe and thank you for being here."
Hamlin also finished second in New Hampshire last year following a sprint to the finish that left him 0.210 seconds behind Kevin Harvick. Hamlin has five victories this year, including last week in Kansas.
"It was fun racing those guys. They were very very deserving today and I'm happy for them," he said. "The two best cars finished 1-2 today and they got the better end of it. I was having a good time there."
ADVERTISEMENTMartin Truex Jr. was third after working his way back from the rear of the field because of a penalty for a runaway tire in the pits. Joey Logano was fourth and Harvick fifth.
"When those things happen, you just have to buckle down and get what you can get," Truex said. "Fortunately, we were able to come back from it."
Kyle Busch was last after a flat front right tire on the backstretch sent him skidding into the wall after just 15 laps. The reigning Cup champion is a 12-time winner in New Hampshire, including three in the top series.
"About halfway down the backstretch I felt it go flat and tried to get slowed down enough without taking everybody else running over me behind me down the straightaway," he said. "Seems to be our luck with the Pedigree [sponsored] car here at New Hampshire. ... It's still 2020, but sooner or later we have to turn this stuff around."
The track has a capacity of 76,000, but Gov. Chris Sununu said last week that he expected about 12,000 fans to attend. A track spokeswoman said attendance would not be announced, but it appeared to be about 10% full.
The governor gave a brief welcome before the race and thanked fans for cooperating with the restrictions. Fans were required to wear masks when making their way around the track but could remove them in their seats.
Brad Keselowski does a burnout while holding the American flag out his window after winning Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesHamlin won the first stage after fighting for the lead with Keselowski and Ryan Blaney. Keselowski took the second stage, passing Hamlin on the final lap of a two-lap sprint following a series of cautions late in the stage. It was his sixth stage win -- the most of any driver.
Keselowski appeared to get the worst of a preseason staffing shuffle when he got the least accomplished of the three Penske crew chiefs. But Jeremy Bullins has focused on helping Keselowski win races and earn a contract extension.
"Talking to Jeremy Bullins, it was, 'What do we need to do to get to the next level?' Go dominate a race, and that's what we did today," Keselowski said. "Jeremy and this team has been a good kick in the butt."
In his last start in New Hampshire, where he swept the Cup Series events in 2003, Jimmie Johnson recovered from an early spin to finish 12th. The seven-time NASCAR champion finished the day 18th in the playoff race -- below the cut line -- and has only six races left to make up ground.
Johnson, who has said this will be his last year as a full-time Cup driver, was presented with a replica Revolutionary War musket as a parting gift, and "Thanks Jimmie 48" was painted on the inner wall. A trail on the property was named the Jimmie Johnson 5K trail for the fitness enthusiast, who ran in the Boston Marathon last year.
Others on the bubble jostling for the 16 playoff spots are 14th-place Clint Bowyer, who finished 18th on Sunday, Matt DiBenedetto (15th, finished sixth), William Byron (16th, finished 11th), Tyler Reddick (17th, finished 10th), Johnson and Erik Jones (19th, finished 24th).
Denny Hamlin soars at Kansas with fifth Cup Series win of the season
By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service July 23, 2020 at 11:17 PMIn what could be a sneak preview of the Championship 4 race later this year, Denny Hamlin outdueled Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. to win the Super Start Batteries 400 presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts Thursday night at Kansas Speedway.
After a wild restart on Lap 246, Hamlin passed Harvick for the lead on Lap 255 of 267 and held off a late charge from Keselowski to score his NASCAR Cup Series-best fifth victory of the season, his third at Kansas and the 42nd of his career.
RELATED: Official race results | 2020 Cup Series schedule
Hamlin led four times for a race-high 57 laps to rebound from three sub-par finishes in what otherwise has been a stellar season for the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team.
“I don’t know if we had the best car — we definitely had a top-three car all day,” said Hamlin, who has won two straight races at Kansas. “We just went and got it there at the end. I saw the 4 (Harvick) getting loose, and usually when you’re loose, you’re not able to run up high, and that was a benefit for us to be able to get that momentum going…
“We’ve had a rough three weeks — we were leading at Indy when we blew a tire, but it seems like we’re really hitting on all cylinders right now.”
Moments after the final restart, Harvick made a deft move to slip past Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman. Hamlin followed and started to close the gap by running the top lane on the 1.5-mile track. Harvick’s car was too loose to take Hamlin’s line, and after chasing for eight laps, Hamlin made the pass for the lead with relative ease.
“We needed a miracle,” said Harvick, who spent most of the night running in or near the top five, before grabbing his short-lived lead on the final run. “Our Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang was really loose. We got a couple good restarts and had a couple good laps, but we were in trouble there regardless, if it didn’t just keep going yellow.
“Our guys did a good job keeping us in the fight all night, but we definitely have some work to do.”
Keselowski followed Hamlin past Harvick, and Truex soon followed to secure the third position. Truex led 44 laps and Keselowski 30 in a race that featured a surfeit of action, as the 11 cautions implied.
“I thought Denny and I were probably pretty close to equal the second half of the night,” said Keselowski, who picked up his fifth stage win of the season in Stage 2. “It was just a matter of who got out in front. We didn’t get out in front on the restarts there, and he was able to take advantage and bring home the win. All in all, it was still a really good day.”
Kyle Busch, who led 52 laps, won the first 80-lap stage to collect his first Playoff point of the season, but his race fell apart with 40 laps left when he slid into the outside wall and was forced to pit road with a flat right-front tire.
Busch recovered to finish 11th, but the reigning series champion saw his winless streak reach 19 races, his longest drought to start a season since 2017.
The race was a disaster for seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who came to Kansas two points inside the current playoff cutline. Johnson was an innocent victim of a Lap 176 wreck triggered when Joey Logano slapped the outside wall after his left-front tire lost air.
Matt DiBenedetto and Austin Dillon also were collected in the crash, but Johnson suffered the most, finishing 32nd and dropping to 18th in the standings, eight points behind Sunoco rookie Tyler Reddick with both on the outside looking in of the playoff picture.
Harvick held the fourth position at the finish. Erik Jones ran fifth, followed by Aric Almirola (scoring his eighth straight top 10), Cole Custer, Bowman, Kurt Busch and Byron. In the race for the regular-season championship, Harvick leads second-place Keselowski by 97 points.
After a wild restart on Lap 246, Hamlin passed Harvick for the lead on Lap 255 of 267 and held off a late charge from Keselowski to score his NASCAR Cup Series-best fifth victory of the season, his third at Kansas and the 42nd of his career.
RELATED: Official race results | 2020 Cup Series schedule
Hamlin led four times for a race-high 57 laps to rebound from three sub-par finishes in what otherwise has been a stellar season for the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team.
“I don’t know if we had the best car — we definitely had a top-three car all day,” said Hamlin, who has won two straight races at Kansas. “We just went and got it there at the end. I saw the 4 (Harvick) getting loose, and usually when you’re loose, you’re not able to run up high, and that was a benefit for us to be able to get that momentum going…
“We’ve had a rough three weeks — we were leading at Indy when we blew a tire, but it seems like we’re really hitting on all cylinders right now.”
Moments after the final restart, Harvick made a deft move to slip past Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman. Hamlin followed and started to close the gap by running the top lane on the 1.5-mile track. Harvick’s car was too loose to take Hamlin’s line, and after chasing for eight laps, Hamlin made the pass for the lead with relative ease.
“We needed a miracle,” said Harvick, who spent most of the night running in or near the top five, before grabbing his short-lived lead on the final run. “Our Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang was really loose. We got a couple good restarts and had a couple good laps, but we were in trouble there regardless, if it didn’t just keep going yellow.
“Our guys did a good job keeping us in the fight all night, but we definitely have some work to do.”
Keselowski followed Hamlin past Harvick, and Truex soon followed to secure the third position. Truex led 44 laps and Keselowski 30 in a race that featured a surfeit of action, as the 11 cautions implied.
“I thought Denny and I were probably pretty close to equal the second half of the night,” said Keselowski, who picked up his fifth stage win of the season in Stage 2. “It was just a matter of who got out in front. We didn’t get out in front on the restarts there, and he was able to take advantage and bring home the win. All in all, it was still a really good day.”
Kyle Busch, who led 52 laps, won the first 80-lap stage to collect his first Playoff point of the season, but his race fell apart with 40 laps left when he slid into the outside wall and was forced to pit road with a flat right-front tire.
Busch recovered to finish 11th, but the reigning series champion saw his winless streak reach 19 races, his longest drought to start a season since 2017.
The race was a disaster for seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who came to Kansas two points inside the current playoff cutline. Johnson was an innocent victim of a Lap 176 wreck triggered when Joey Logano slapped the outside wall after his left-front tire lost air.
Matt DiBenedetto and Austin Dillon also were collected in the crash, but Johnson suffered the most, finishing 32nd and dropping to 18th in the standings, eight points behind Sunoco rookie Tyler Reddick with both on the outside looking in of the playoff picture.
Harvick held the fourth position at the finish. Erik Jones ran fifth, followed by Aric Almirola (scoring his eighth straight top 10), Cole Custer, Bowman, Kurt Busch and Byron. In the race for the regular-season championship, Harvick leads second-place Keselowski by 97 points.
Busch dq'd after Xfinity win at Texas
From NASCAR.com and Roy J. Akers
Busch’s No. 54 Joe Gibbs Toyota failed postrace inspection Saturday after finishing ahead of Austin Cindric, who was declared the winner for the third victory in a row after taking both Xfinity races at Kentucky.
Austin Cindric smiles in Victory Lane after being name winner of the NASCAR Xfinity auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, July 18, 2020. (Photo: Ray Carlin, AP)
NASCAR said Busch’s car was disqualified for failing heights, with the left rear measuring too low.
It would have been the 98th career win for Busch in the series. Instead, Cindric got his fifth in 83 career starts despite crossing the finish line 0.949 seconds behind Busch. That made a 1-2 Ford finish with Cindric ahead of series points leader Chase Briscoe.
The 21-year-old Cindric, son of Team Penske president Tim Cindric, said he had already changed back into street clothes in his hauler when he noticed everybody still around the No. 54 car. He said it’s great to get a win no matter how it happens.
“I felt like we had a shot to do that today. And maybe didn’t execute as well as you should have, but that’s what kept us out,” Cindric said. “But fast race cars and being in position, that’s where it counts.”
Busch had to come back through the field three times in the race, including an early speeding penalty on pit road. He built a 3.3 second-lead before a final caution flag when Joe Graf Jr. made contact with the wall. Busch led only 15 of the 201 laps.
Justin Allgaier had regained the lead from Cindric when both pitted on Lap 159, but was penalized for a blend line penalty when getting back on the track. After doing his pass-through penalty 10 laps later, he dropped two laps off the pace before recovering for a third-place finish.
“I’d like an explanation, because that’s been the same way we’ve done it now for as long as I’ve been in NASCAR,” Allgaier said. “Disappointing. … Win the two stages and know that we had a car that was capable of going for a win was really a solid afternoon.”
Cindric led three times for 44 laps. Allgaier, who won both stages during the race, was in front four times for 98 laps.
Texas is a 1 1/2-mile track like Kentucky, where Cindric won twice last weekend. His other Xfinity wins were in back-to-back races on road courses at Watkins-Glen and Mid-Ohio last July. The last Xfinity drive to win three races in a row was Christopher Bell in July 2018.
“I’ve got more wins on ovals than road course. I’ll take it, I’ll move with it. It’s great to be able to capitalize on fast race cars,” Cindric said. “I don’t this weekend we were quite as good as we were at Kentucky. But overall, being able to run up front all day, getting great stage points and have a say in things all race, it was great. We’ve just got to keep building on that.”
There were no spectators allowed for the Xfinity race, or the Truck Series race on Saturday night when Busch was racing again. Thousands of fans will be in the stands for the Cup race Sunday.
Noah Gragson, who entered the race second in season points, crashed in Turn 3 on lap 117 after he got loose after the air got taken off his rear with Cindric behind him. There didn’t appear to be any contact. Gragson finished 30th, and dropped to third in points while Cindric moved up to second.
Gragson was behind Riley Herbst in a similar incident on five laps into race, when Herbst slammed hard into the outside wall coming out of Turn 4 and ended his day to finish last in the 37-car field, though he got moved up a spot after Busch’s disqualification. Gragson said on the radio that there was no contact.
“We were just learning the track here at Texas, first time at this speedway and got absolutely drove through by the 9 (Gragson) car,” Herbst said. “Just a little bit of lack of respect.”
Austin Cindric smiles in Victory Lane after being name winner of the NASCAR Xfinity auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, July 18, 2020. (Photo: Ray Carlin, AP)
NASCAR said Busch’s car was disqualified for failing heights, with the left rear measuring too low.
It would have been the 98th career win for Busch in the series. Instead, Cindric got his fifth in 83 career starts despite crossing the finish line 0.949 seconds behind Busch. That made a 1-2 Ford finish with Cindric ahead of series points leader Chase Briscoe.
The 21-year-old Cindric, son of Team Penske president Tim Cindric, said he had already changed back into street clothes in his hauler when he noticed everybody still around the No. 54 car. He said it’s great to get a win no matter how it happens.
“I felt like we had a shot to do that today. And maybe didn’t execute as well as you should have, but that’s what kept us out,” Cindric said. “But fast race cars and being in position, that’s where it counts.”
Busch had to come back through the field three times in the race, including an early speeding penalty on pit road. He built a 3.3 second-lead before a final caution flag when Joe Graf Jr. made contact with the wall. Busch led only 15 of the 201 laps.
Justin Allgaier had regained the lead from Cindric when both pitted on Lap 159, but was penalized for a blend line penalty when getting back on the track. After doing his pass-through penalty 10 laps later, he dropped two laps off the pace before recovering for a third-place finish.
“I’d like an explanation, because that’s been the same way we’ve done it now for as long as I’ve been in NASCAR,” Allgaier said. “Disappointing. … Win the two stages and know that we had a car that was capable of going for a win was really a solid afternoon.”
Cindric led three times for 44 laps. Allgaier, who won both stages during the race, was in front four times for 98 laps.
Texas is a 1 1/2-mile track like Kentucky, where Cindric won twice last weekend. His other Xfinity wins were in back-to-back races on road courses at Watkins-Glen and Mid-Ohio last July. The last Xfinity drive to win three races in a row was Christopher Bell in July 2018.
“I’ve got more wins on ovals than road course. I’ll take it, I’ll move with it. It’s great to be able to capitalize on fast race cars,” Cindric said. “I don’t this weekend we were quite as good as we were at Kentucky. But overall, being able to run up front all day, getting great stage points and have a say in things all race, it was great. We’ve just got to keep building on that.”
There were no spectators allowed for the Xfinity race, or the Truck Series race on Saturday night when Busch was racing again. Thousands of fans will be in the stands for the Cup race Sunday.
Noah Gragson, who entered the race second in season points, crashed in Turn 3 on lap 117 after he got loose after the air got taken off his rear with Cindric behind him. There didn’t appear to be any contact. Gragson finished 30th, and dropped to third in points while Cindric moved up to second.
Gragson was behind Riley Herbst in a similar incident on five laps into race, when Herbst slammed hard into the outside wall coming out of Turn 4 and ended his day to finish last in the 37-car field, though he got moved up a spot after Busch’s disqualification. Gragson said on the radio that there was no contact.
“We were just learning the track here at Texas, first time at this speedway and got absolutely drove through by the 9 (Gragson) car,” Herbst said. “Just a little bit of lack of respect.”
Jesper Svensson, Kyle Troup Win Second Roth-Holman PBA Doubles Championship Title by Jerry Schneider | Sunday, March 09
INDIANAPOLIS – Sweden’s Jesper Svensson and fellow two-hander Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, North Carolina, defeated EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Indiana and Marshall Kent of Yakima, Washington, 234-205, in the Baker format title match to win the Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship which aired Sunday on FS1 from Royal Pin Woodland.For both Svensson and Troup it was their second title of the 2020 Go Bowling PBA Tour season, but for the 25-year-old Svensson, his 10th career title made him title-eligible for eventual election to the PBA Hall of Fame. He is the third youngest player to achieve that feat, behind Anthony Simonsen and Tackett who reached the PBA Hall of Fame minimum titles eligibility criteria at ages 22 and 24, respectively. All three have a lengthy wait ahead in reaching the 20-year PBA membership criteria, however. Tackett will be eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot for induction in 2032, Simonsen in 2033 and Svensson, the first Swedish player to earn HOF eligibility, in 2034.
Svensson won the Go Bowling PBA Indianapolis Open for back-to-back titles while Troup earned his fifth career title after winning the Jonesboro Open earlier this season.
Svensson won the Go Bowling PBA Indianapolis Open for back-to-back titles while Troup earned his fifth career title after winning the Jonesboro Open earlier this season.
Justin Knowles of Okemos won the Metro Detroit USBC (MDUSBC) Men's Series event Sunday with a 214-187 triumph over Chris Szczepaniak of Wyandotte at Westland Bowl in Westland. Knowles took home the top prize of $500, while
Szczepaniak settled for $250.
Knowles qualified sixth in the field of 50, with a four-game total of 859 on games of 214, 208, 247 and 190. In match play he beat Darren Alexander of Essex, Ontario 239-193, Aaron Lorincz of Centerline 213-186 and Anthony Wright of Detroit 198-193 to advance to the championship match.
Szczepaniak qualified ninth with 845, including a high game of 227. In match play he defeated Lenard Jackson of Sterling Heights 234-205, top qualifier Jordan Hornes of Detroit 225-206 and Mark Brooks of Westland 196-176 on his way to the finals.
Hornes led the field with 968 on games of 257, 201, 244 and 266. He then lost his first match to take home $75.
Women's champion Stacey Timmer of Wayland won the "Battle of the Series" by defeating Knowles 188-183 in a spirited match.
Szczepaniak settled for $250.
Knowles qualified sixth in the field of 50, with a four-game total of 859 on games of 214, 208, 247 and 190. In match play he beat Darren Alexander of Essex, Ontario 239-193, Aaron Lorincz of Centerline 213-186 and Anthony Wright of Detroit 198-193 to advance to the championship match.
Szczepaniak qualified ninth with 845, including a high game of 227. In match play he defeated Lenard Jackson of Sterling Heights 234-205, top qualifier Jordan Hornes of Detroit 225-206 and Mark Brooks of Westland 196-176 on his way to the finals.
Hornes led the field with 968 on games of 257, 201, 244 and 266. He then lost his first match to take home $75.
Women's champion Stacey Timmer of Wayland won the "Battle of the Series" by defeating Knowles 188-183 in a spirited match.
MARK ROTH-MARSHALL HOLMAN PBA DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP
(a 2020 Go Bowling PBA Tour Tier 3 event)
Royal Pin Woodland, Indianapolis (aired Sunday on FS1)
Final Standings:
1, Jesper Svensson, Sweden/Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., $30,000.
2, EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind./Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., $15,000.
3, Dom Barrett, England/Anthony Simonsen, Little Elm, Texas, $13,000
4, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich./Kris Prather, Plainfield, Ill., $12,000.
5, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz./Osku Palermaa, Finland, $11,000.
Stepladder Results:
Match One – Barrett/Simonsen def. Butturff/Palermaa, 237-236.
Match Two – Barrett/Simonsen def. Anderson/Prather, 226-190.
Semifinal Match – Tackett/Kent def. Barrett/Simonsen, 263-190.
Championship – Svensson/Troup def. Tackett/Kent, 234-205.
(a 2020 Go Bowling PBA Tour Tier 3 event)
Royal Pin Woodland, Indianapolis (aired Sunday on FS1)
Final Standings:
1, Jesper Svensson, Sweden/Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., $30,000.
2, EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind./Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., $15,000.
3, Dom Barrett, England/Anthony Simonsen, Little Elm, Texas, $13,000
4, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich./Kris Prather, Plainfield, Ill., $12,000.
5, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz./Osku Palermaa, Finland, $11,000.
Stepladder Results:
Match One – Barrett/Simonsen def. Butturff/Palermaa, 237-236.
Match Two – Barrett/Simonsen def. Anderson/Prather, 226-190.
Semifinal Match – Tackett/Kent def. Barrett/Simonsen, 263-190.
Championship – Svensson/Troup def. Tackett/Kent, 234-205.